Married Life
by Melissa Larkin
Summary: A look into the life of newlyweds Susan Lewis and Mark Greene. Chapter 9: Susie talks to her therapist.
1. Chapter 1

Married Life Chapter 1

Author: Melissa Larkin

Disclaimer: I do not own ER or any of the characters portrayed in this story.

Married Life

Mark Greene exited the bathroom of the house he shared with his wife of four months, Susan Lewis. Mark smiled at the sight of his wife, still sound asleep. With a glance at the clock, followed by a slight frown on his face, Mark went to wake Susan. He hated to interrupt whatever dream she was having, especially since she had a smile on her sleeping face.

"Sus, wake up," Mark said gently. Susan stirred in her sleep and slightly opened her eyes. "Morning, sleepyhead." Mark kissed his wife and pushed her hair away from her eyes. "Were you having a good dream?"

"Mhmm," Susan yawned. "I dreamt we were able to sleep in for as long as we wanted."

"Don't I wish!" Mark laughed. "I saved you some hot water in the shower."

"Thanks," Susan replied as she returned Mark's earlier kiss. She got out of bed and padded into the bathroom. She exited a few minutes later and went to the desk in the corner of their bedroom. Susan opened a drawer and took out a small calendar. "Hmm."

"What?" Mark asked as he looked up from tying his shoes.

"I'm late," Susan said, not turning around to look at Mark.

"No, we have plenty of time," Mark said. He walked over to Susan and wrapped his arms around her waist. 

"No, not that type of late," Susan replied with a laugh. "I'm three days late with my period." She turned around and looked at Mark. "I might be pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Mark said, a look of surprise across his face. 

"Yeah," Susan said quietly. "I know we haven't been married long, but we also haven't used protection much lately."

"Wow," Mark responded, then broke out into a huge grin. "We're pregnant!"

"I don't know for sure," Susan said, her own face the picture of joy. "I've been a couple of days late before, but we haven't used any kind of birth control since the wedding. It's possible."

"I love you," Mark declared, and kissed Susan passionately. He took her face in his hands and stared into her eyes. "Even if we're not having a baby yet, I want you to know how much I love you."

"I do know," Susan replied. "You show me every day." 

Later that morning, at County General Hospital, Susan approached Dr. Abby Lockhart. Not only was Abby Susan's best friend, she was also a former OB/GYN nurse. Susan figured she was the best person to talk to on both parts.

"I need a favor," Susan said quietly after both doctors were in the lounge.

"Sure, what is it?" Abby asked.

"I want you to draw some blood and run a pregnancy test," Susan responded. 

Abby appeared surprised and then grinned. "Really?"

"I'm not one hundred percent sure," Susan admitted. "I'm only three days late, but Mark and I haven't used any sort of birth control since we were married."

"Of course I'll do it," Abby promised. "When's a good time for you?"

"Now?" Susan said with a small laugh. "I really want to know if I'm pregnant or not."

"Sure, now's fine. It's pretty quiet out there."

"Don't say that," Susan laughed, "or we'll end up with multiple traumas!"

Abby grinned and escorted Susan to an empty exam room. She quickly drew the blood and sent it up to the lab. The results would be faxed to the ER within a couple of hours.

Abby glanced at the fax machine a couple of hours later as she finished working on her patients' charts. She sighed impatiently and returned to her work.

"Staring at it won't make the fax work any faster," her boyfriend, Luka Kovac, gently chided. "Waiting for something important?"

"Just some blood work on a patient," Abby replied. Luka wrapped his arms around Abby and kissed her. "Is this a distraction, Dr. Kovac?"

"Yes," Luka responded. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?"

"Definitely," Abby said, and kissed Luka. "And every night."

"Hearing that makes me happy," Luka said and grinned. "Very, very happy." The couple kissed again and then the fax machine beeped, signaling an incoming fax. Abby pulled away from the kiss and waited impatiently.

"Come on," she said. The paper exited the machine and Abby checked the name. It was Susan's test result. Abby folded the paper, not wanting to invade her friend's privacy. She kissed Luka again quickly and ran off towards the trauma room.

Mark and Susan were exiting a successful trauma when Abby ran up to them.

"The results you wanted just arrived," she said, trying to appear nonchalant. 

Susan took the paper and looked around. "Is the lounge free?"

"I didn't see anyone go in for the past ten minutes," Abby replied. 

"Thanks," Mark said, and he and Susan quickly walked off.

"Good luck," Abby said softly.

Mark closed the door of the doctor's lounge and walked over to Susan. 

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Susan answered. She unfolded the paper and read the results. As her face fell, Mark instantly knew that his wife wasn't pregnant.

"Negative?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah," Susan said tensely. She crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it into the trash can. "It's just as well. We're newlyweds, we want time to ourselves first, right?" Mark noticed the shakiness in Susan's voice.

"Come here," he said gently, and wrapped his arms around Susan. "I wanted us to be pregnant," he whispered into her ear. Susan began to shake as the tears fell. "I did too." Mark stroked her hair as Susan sobbed. Susan looked at Mark a few moments later, her face streaked with tears. "Mark, what if I can't get pregnant? What then?"

"Don't think that way" he replied. "If you're concerned, make an appointment with Janet Coburn. But don't immediately give up, Susan." Mark guided Susan to the sofa. They sat down, Mark still holding Susan. 

"But what if I can't give you a child, Mark?" Susan inquired.

"I don't want you to think negatively," Mark answered. 

"Mark, please, just answer me," Susan said, a tone of desperation in her voice.

Mark sighed. "Susan, I married you because you are not only my best friend, but you are my life. I'd like us to have a child together, but if we don't, as long as I get to wake up next to you each morning, to hold you in my arms, then I'm happy." He leaned in and kissed Susan. "But please don't let this one negative result get you down, okay?" Susan nodded and rested her head on Mark's shoulder.

"We should get back," she said quietly.

"They can wait a few minutes for us," Mark replied. He kissed Susan's head and gently stroked her hair. They sat in silence together for a while. 


	2. Chapter 2

Married Life

Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own ER, or the characters introduced in this chapter except for Melanie Malucci.

Dr. Susan Lewis sat at a table in the doctors' lounge at County General Hospital, and tried to keep her eyes open. She looked at her watch.

"It's 10 a.m. and I'm this tired!" she moaned. Susan picked up her mug of coffee and sipped it. "Blech, it's as bad as it was before, and now it's cold. I hate cold coffee!" Susan put her mug down and looked around the empty lounge. "Great, Susan, you've lost it. You're talking to yourself."

Dr. Mark Greene, Susan's husband, entered the lounge. He leaned over to kiss his wife and noticed how tired she looked.

"Tough morning?" he joked. They had both been on for two hours and Susan appeared as though she'd pulled an all-nighter.

"Not funny," she snapped. "I'm dead tired." Mark began to pour himself some coffee. "And I'd avoid the coffee if I were you."

Mark looked into the coffee pot. "Why? It looks fine to me."

"It's not, it's really gross," Susan retorted.

"But Haleh made it, and she makes the best coffee around!" Mark said. "Why don't I make a fresh pot for us?"

"Do what you want, I don't care," Susan snapped. Mark sat across from his wife, who ran her fingers through her shoulder-length blond hair.

"Are you all right?" he asked gently.

"I'm fine!" Susan exclaimed. "I wish you'd leave this alone."

"Leave what alone?" Mark questioned. "I wanted to know if you were okay. You don't look well."

"Maybe I'm coming down with something," Susan sighed. She played with her pen and avoided her husband's gaze.

"Okay, then," he said and went to his locker. He took out two aspirin and swallowed them.

"Why are you taking those?" Susan asked. Mark closed his locker.

"I just have a headache," he said. "It's most likely got 'Kerry Weaver' written all over it," he added as a joke.  
"A headache?" Susan asked worriedly. 

"Yes, just a simple headache. I don't have a brain tumor," Mark joked. Susan stood up and appeared on the verge of tears. "Honey, what is it?"

"Don't EVER joke about that!" she screamed. Susan grabbed the chart she'd been working on and quickly exited the lounge. Mark followed her.

"Susan!" he called as he began to run after her. Susan ducked into the ladies' room and Luka called to Mark.

"Mark, we need your help in this trauma," he said. "Is Susan around?"

"She's not feeling well," Mark began. "She just went into the bathroom." Mark turned to the patient. "So, what do we have?" Luka gave him the information and they entered the trauma room.

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Susan stood against the stall door and wiped her eyes. She didn't get it: why was she so emotional lately? It seemed like anything and everything was making her cry. The door to the ladies' room opened and Abby poked her head in.

"Susan?" she called out. Susan wiped her red eyes and exited the stall.

"Yeah, I'm here," she answered. "Do they need me out there?"

"No, Mark mentioned you weren't feeling well and I wanted to see if you were all right," Abby replied.

"I don't know," Susan said softly. She leaned against the sink. "I'm tired, I'm crying at everything and I'm biting Mark's head off every time he says something. He made a joke about a brain tumor earlier and I ran in here and started bawling. That's not like me, Abby."

Abby smiled at her best friend. "I think we should run another blood test," she said happily.

"You think so?" Susan asked. 

"Susan, you have all the classic symptoms of being pregnant!" Abby said happily. "Mood swings, fatigue. And were you avoiding Haleh's coffee again?"

"Guilty," Susan admitted. "It just tasted off the past couple of days."

"Let's go," Abby said as she opened the door. She ushered Susan into an exam room and quickly performed the blood test.

"Don't say anything to Mark, okay?" Susan requested. Abby nodded in response and put a band-aid on Susan's arm. "Thanks. He seemed to get his hopes up last time, and we were both really disappointed. I don't want to put him through that again."

"You should have the results back in an hour or so," Abby said as she labeled the vial. 

Susan put her lab coat back on. "So I really haven't been myself lately?" she asked.  
"You've been a major cranky ass," Abby retorted. 

"Thanks a lot!" Susan replied.

"Hey, I'm your best friend. It's up to me to tell you this," Abby said. 

Susan grinned in return and gave Abby a quick hug. "Thank you."

"Any time," she said. "And if it's a girl, you can name her after me." 

"I'll run that by Mark," Susan said as she and Abby walked to the nurse's station. Mark approached Susan tentatively and she blushed. "Don't worry, I won't bite," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked jokingly. Susan took his hand and led him to the lounge.

"If you're not out in ten minutes, I'll call security," Dave teased. Abby gently smacked him on the arm and they continued their work.

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Susan led Mark to the sofa and they sat down. "I'm really sorry," she said.

Mark smiled and leaned in to kiss Susan. The kiss quickly turned passionate and they stretched out on the sofa, Susan on top of Mark. She rested in his arms and he ran his fingers through her hair.

"You seem to be feeling better," he said lightly. Susan looked up at her husband and kissed him again. "Yep, much better. And I'm sorry about that stupid brain tumor comment. I didn't think it would upset you so much."

"I was surprised that I had the reaction I did," Susan admitted. "Just don't ever say it again, okay? If I ever lost you, I don't know what I'd do."

"Deal," Mark said. "I won't say that again. It's not as if I'd ever want to deal with anything like that anyway."

Susan and Mark rested in total silence for a few moments, and Susan glanced at the door. "I wonder if Dave's ready to call security," she joked.

"We should go," Mark said. At that moment, both of their pagers went off. The couple groaned. "Yep, we have to get up." The Greenes exited the lounge and greeted an incoming trauma.

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A few hours later, Abby quietly approached Susan at the nurses' station. "This fax just came in for you," she said. Susan looked around and then unfolded the paper. A huge grin broke out across her face. "I know you want to tell Mark first," Abby joked.

"I can't believe it!" Susan gasped. She hugged Abby again. "Thank you!" With a quick glance at the clock, Susan saw that her shift was over. She ran to the lounge and emerged with her coat and purse. "I can't wait to tell Mark!" Susan ran out of the ER, and Dave came up to Abby.

"I've had days like that," he said. "My shift's over and I'm outta here!"

"Aww, you don't love us, Dave?" Abby kidded.

"I do," Dave said, "but I also have a gorgeous wife at home!" He turned serious and lowered his voice. "Is Susan okay? She's not only my friend but we're family now that I've married her cousin Melanie, and I care about her."

"She's more than fine," Abby grinned. 

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At the Lewis-Greene home, Susan had changed into a sweater and skirt and had lit a fire in the fireplace. Mark had stayed late at work to catch up on some patient files and Susan was happy that she had extra time to prepare a special homecoming for him. She heard his car pull up and looked out the window. A smile broke out onto her face as she saw him walk up to the door.

"Here's show time," she said to herself. Susan glanced quickly in the mirror and the door opened. "Hey."

"Hi," Mark said. He walked over to Susan and they kissed. "You look beautiful. Are we going out to dinner or something?"

"No," Susan answered and took his hand. "I thought we'd have an evening in." Mark took off his coat and hung it on the nearby rack.

"That sounds perfect," he said. They walked into the living room. "And you started a fire? It's the right night for it."

"I have something to tell you," Susan said. They sat amongst some large, comfortable pillows in front of the fireplace. She took Mark's hand and rubbed it.

"What?" Mark asked as he grinned. 

Susan placed his hand on her stomach. "What do you think of September?" she asked softly. 

"Really!" Mark exclaimed happily. "We're - you're - pregnant!" Susan nodded in response, tears of happiness in her eyes. "This is incredible!" Mark passionately kissed Susan and they embraced in a hug. "I'm going to be a dad again!"

"Yes, you are," Susan said as she wiped her eyes.

"How - when did you find out?" Mark asked as he stroked Susan's face.

"Abby and I had a talk today, and she said I had the classic pregnancy symptoms. She took a blood test and I just found out before I left work today," Susan replied. "Technically, she doesn't know, since I wanted to tell you first, but I think my response was a total giveaway," she joked.

"A baby," Mark stated. He lifted Susan's sweater and kissed her stomach. "Hi, little one, I'm Daddy." Susan snuggled into his arms and Mark kissed her head. "I can't wait to tell this little boy or girl how his mom and dad fell in love."

"It's quite a story," Susan said. "You told me that you loved me and I got on a train to Phoenix."

"But you came back," Mark reminded her. "And we resumed our friendship."

"And then I finally admitted to you that I loved you," Susan added. 

"And that night was the first time we made love," Mark said. 

"We can leave that part out," Susan replied. "And a week later you proposed."

"It took me a week to find the perfect engagement ring for you," Mark said. "You deserved the best." Mark wrapped his arms around Susan and began to rub her stomach. "And two months later you made me the happiest man in the world when you married me."

"So by the time we celebrate our first anniversary in June, I'll be six months pregnant," Susan figured. She laughed. "I won't be able to fit into my clothes much longer."

"You're going to be an incredibly sexy pregnant woman," Mark said in a seductive tone. Susan turned around and they kissed, and enjoyed a romantic evening together. 


	3. Chapter 3

Married Life 

Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own ER. The songs mentioned are "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" by KT Tunstall and "Come Away With Me" by Norah Jones. No copyright infringement is intended.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, Susan Lewis-Greene was folding laundry in the bedroom she shared with her husband, Mark. The radio was playing a current hit song, 'Black Horse and the Cherry Tree.' Susan turned up the volume and began dancing and singing along with the music.

"But I said no, no, no, no-no-no, I said no, no, you're not the one for me, No, no, no, no-no-no, I said no, no, you're not the one for me," Susan sang. Mark approached their bedroom and stood in the doorway, a huge grin on his face. Susan turned around and blushed when she saw Mark watching her. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough," he teased as he entered the room. "You looked like you were having fun."

"I was," Susan replied. She rubbed her hands over her four-months-pregnant belly. "And the baby liked it, too."

"Hey in there," Mark said as he rubbed Susan's belly. "In a few more days we'll find out if you're a boy or a girl."

"I can't wait to find out," Susan admitted.

"I'm pretty psyched too," Mark said. The song on the radio changed, and 'Come Away With Me' began to play. Mark smiled at his wife. "It's our song." He held out his hand. "Would you dance with me?"

Susan smiled and took Mark's hand. "I'd love to." The couple wrapped their arms around each other and swayed gently to the music.

_"Come away with me in the night  
Come away with me  
And I will write you a song_

Come away with me on a bus  
Come away where they can't tempt us  
With their lies

I want to walk with you  
On a cloudy day  
In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high  
So won't you try to come

Come away with me and we'll kiss  
On a mountaintop  
Come away with me  
And I'll never stop loving you

And I want to wake up with the rain  
Falling on a tin roof  
While I'm safe there in your arms  
So all I ask is for you  
To come away with me in the night  
Come away with me."

Mark rubbed Susan's back as they were dancing. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled.

"I remember dancing to this at our wedding," she said. "Our first dance as husband and wife."

"I'll never forget that day," Mark said softly. "It's up there with the day you said you loved me, and when you told me you were pregnant." The song ended and Mark looked at Susan. "I love you."

"I love you," Susan replied, and they shared a kiss. At that moment, Susan felt a small kick in her stomach. She looked up at Mark, her mouth slightly open in surprise. "I - I think the baby just kicked."

"I felt that!" he said. Mark placed his hand on Susan's belly and a few moments later, felt another small kick. "Wow."

"That's our baby," Susan said. Mark hugged her and they continued to dance.

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A few days later, Susan was working at the nurses' station at County General. She glanced at her watch and her co-worker and best friend, Abby Lockhart, laughed.

"I know you're excited, but I've never seen you check your watch so many times!" Abby said.

"I just want my break to come so Mark and I can get to our appointment," Susan said excitedly. "We're finding out today if the baby is a boy or a girl."

"Hmm," Abby replied, and stared at her friend's pregnant belly. "I'm not one to believe in those old wives' tales, but from the way you're carrying, I'd say you're having a boy."

Dave Malucci, Susan's co-worker and cousin through marriage, appeared behind Abby. "I think she's right, Sus," he said. "I'd bet it's a boy."

"Oh, are we placing bets now?" Susan asked good-naturedly. "Is there a pool I don't know about?"

"Right," Abby scoffed. "Like there's anything secret in this place!"

"This is the place where secrets come to die," Dave chimed in.

Mark walked up to the nurses' station and placed a chart in the rack on the counter. He checked his watch and Abby began to giggle.

"What?" Mark asked.

"You and Susan are both so excited for this appointment," Abby said. "Go on, you only have a few minutes left. I'll cover for you."

"Thanks, Abby!" Susan said. "We'll let you know how everything goes."

"Are you going to tell us what you're having?" Dave asked.

Susan and Mark exchanged looks and both nodded. "Yeah, why not," Susan replied. "I don't see why we should keep it a secret. See you later!" Mark wrapped his arm around Susan's waist and they walked off.

Abby walked over to Dave and muttered, "Five bucks it's a boy."

"You're on!" Dave replied as they shook hands.

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Upstairs at County General, Susan held Mark's hand as her OB/GYN, Janet Coburn, ran the transducer over Susan's pregnant stomach.

"Everything looks good," Janet commented. She turned to the expectant parents. "And you want to know the baby's sex?"

"Yes," Mark answered. Susan nodded her head in agreement.

"Okay," Janet replied. She looked at the screen a moment longer and then smiled. "You're having a boy."

Mark's face lit up. "A boy? Really!"

"Take a look for yourself," Janet answered, and made room for Mark to see the monitor. "That's a boy!"

"A little boy," Susan whispered. She looked over at the monitor and tears of joy sprang to her eyes. Mark leaned in and kissed her.

"Our son," he said as he stroked her hair.

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Susan and Mark returned to the ER, both still looking at the sonogram picture that Janet had given them.

"Look at his little arms!" Susan said, amazed.

"They're perfect," Mark answered. "Are you hungry?"

"A bit," Susan replied. "Hey, a lot of our friends are at the nurses' station. Let's go tell them first, okay?"

"Anything you wish," Mark said. "I'm going to hold you to that," Susan retorted. She and Mark approached the group, which included Dave, Abby, Luka, Carter, and nurses Lydia, Haleh and Connie. "Hi, everyone."

"We have news!" Mark chimed in.

"How's the baby?" Luka asked.

"Perfect. Very healthy," Susan replied.

"I'm so glad to hear that!" Haleh said, and hugged Susan and Mark. "We've waited so long for you two to finally get together, and now you're having a baby!" She wiped her eyes. "Oh, darn it!"

"Aww, Haleh!" Susan replied, and hugged her in return. "Thank you."

"So, is it a boy or a girl?" Abby inquired. Dave, standing behind her, raised his eyebrows.

"Was I right?" he asked.

"Let's take a vote," Mark joked. "If you think Susan is having a girl, raise your hand." The doctors and nurses looked at each other, and Carter raised his hand.

"A girl? No way, man, she's having a boy," Dave commented.

"And if you think we're having a boy, raise your hand," Mark instructed. Everyone but Carter raised their hand and Mark smiled at his wife. "Hun, tell them what we're having."

"We're having…a boy!" Susan exclaimed. Abby embraced her, and Dave gave Mark a quick hug.

"Congratulations, Mark," Dave said, and then hugged Susan.

Mark and Susan were congratulated by the remaining doctors and nurses and then walked off to the doctor's lounge. Susan took her coat out of her locker and Mark put it on for her.

"Thank you," she said. "I could get used to being spoiled, you know."

"Good, because I plan on keeping this up," Mark replied.

"Really, for how long?" Susan asked with a laugh.

"Oh, forever," Mark answered as he kissed her. At that moment, his pager went off. "It's my patient from this morning. I told OR to page me when he was out of surgery. I'll just be a little while."

"Go, I'll wait," Susan said. Mark exited the lounge and Susan took off her coat. She sat on the sofa and gazed at the sonogram picture again. "My little boy."

The door to the lounge opened and Susan glanced up. Dave entered and sat next to her.

"That's going to be a good-looking kid," he said. "It has Lewis genes."

"Yes, we Lewis women are beautiful," Susan responded with a smile. She noticed that Dave was quiet. "Are you okay?"

"I want to have a baby with Melanie," Dave began. "But I don't want to screw anything up."

"What would you screw up, Dave?" Susan asked. "I've seen how you are with Callie. You're an excellent dad."

"Thanks," Dave said. "But sometimes I feel like I can't do anything right."

"Like when Weaver gets on your case?" Susan asked. Dave nodded. "Ignore her. She's a self-righteous bitch."

Dave laughed slightly and added, "I guess you're right." Susan took Dave's hand and he looked at her.

"I wouldn't have introduced you to my cousin - who I love dearly - if I didn't believe that you were a good person," she began. "You've made Melanie so incredibly happy and I see how much you love her."

"She's my whole world," Dave said. "Her and Callie."

"Talk to her," Susan said. "I do know, however, that she wants to have a baby."

Dave raised his eyebrows in interest. "She said that?"

"Last week, when she and I went shopping for maternity clothes," Susan said. "She said she couldn't wait to have a baby with you, and she thinks you're a wonderful father to Callie."

"Thanks, Susan," Dave said. He stood up and kissed Susan's cheek. Mark entered the lounge.

"Mr. Parks is recovering well," he announced.

"That's good news," Susan said. She stood up and turned to Dave. "Let me know how it goes, okay?"

"I will, I promise," Dave said. He made himself a cup of coffee and walked out of the lounge.

Susan turned to her husband. "So, lunch?" she asked. "I'm eating for two now." Mark smiled and helped Susan put her coat on once more.

"Any preference?" he asked.

"Doc Magoo's?" she said. "I'm in the mood for a huge cheeseburger."

"Doc's it is," Mark responded, and opened the lounge door to let Susan exit first. They walked past the nurses' station and waved good-bye to their friends, then walked off, hand in hand, to spend the afternoon together.


	4. Chapter 4

Married Life 

Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own "ER." The poem, 'The Journey' was written by Maura Penders. "Come Away With Me" is by Norah Jones. No copyright infringement is intended.

Married Life

Mark and Susan Lewis-Greene entered their room at the Solace Inn. Mark turned on the light while Susan looked around.

"This is beautiful!" she exclaimed. Susan walked out to the balcony and saw the wondrous view: the lakes and mountains were breathtakingly gorgeous. Mark joined Susan and she wrapped her arms around him. "Thank you for such a wonderful first anniversary present!"

"This is just the beginning," Mark said as he kissed Susan.

"Oh, really?" Susan smiled as she returned Mark's kiss. "What else do you have planned, Mr. Greene?"

"Well, Mrs. Greene, I have a few surprises up my sleeve," Mark replied slyly. "And no, I won't give you any hints."

"Fine," Susan shrugged. "I have some surprises of my own." She walked into their room and opened her suitcase. "It might be something from a lingerie shop," she whispered to Mark.

"Really?" Mark said, now excited.

"So, any hints as to what my surprise is?" Susan asked.

"Just that you're going to love it," he said. "And that's all I'm going to tell you." Mark hugged Susan close to him and kissed her head. "Why don't you get ready for dinner? I'll unpack and you can take a shower."

"That's no fun," Susan objected. "I'd rather shower now and you can unpack later." She walked to the bathroom, stopped and turned to Mark. "Are you coming?"

"Right behind you!" he said, and they kissed more before entering the bathroom.

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Later that evening, Mark and Susan were enjoying a romantic dinner at the Inn's restaurant. Mark held up a glass of cider and grinned at his wife.

"To us, and our first anniversary as husband and wife," he toasted.

Susan raised her glass and clinked it with Mark's. "To an incredible year, and many more ahead."

"I'd definitely toast to that," Mark said as he sipped his cider.

"And next year, we'll be able to drink champagne," Susan joked. Mark reached across the table and took her hand. "Three more months until our baby boy is here."

"I can't tell you how excited I am," Mark said gently. He stroked Susan's fingers. "This whole year has been magical. It's gone by so quickly."

"Tell me about it," Susan replied. "It feels like we just got married."

"I was more nervous about the proposal," Mark admitted.

"Why? You knew I was going to say yes!" Susan said.

"But I wanted everything to go perfectly, and I was afraid something would mess up," Mark confided.

"That was a perfect evening," Susan reminisced.

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_Flashback: it is late in the month of April of the previous year, just a week after Susan had told Mark she loved him. They have already become lovers and pledged to be together for the rest of their lives. Mark has been searching for the perfect engagement ring to give to Susan, and it is now the night he has planned to propose. The couple is walking along the beach, holding hands._

_"I love the smell of the sea air," Susan said. She closed her eyes and inhaled. "Before we know it, summer will be here."_

_"Do you have any plans for the summer?" Mark asked nervously. Susan opened her eyes and smiled at him. "I'm just asking."_

_"Besides working? Spending every moment with you," Susan answered. She ran her fingers against Mark's cheek and kissed him. "I love you."_

_"I love you," he replied. Mark fidgeted with the box in his pocket. "Susan, I need to ask you something."_

_"Sure, what is it?" Susan responded._

_Mark stopped walking and looked into Susan's eyes. "We started out as friends and that grew into something more. The past week has been the best of my life." Susan blushed and looked down. Mark gently raised her chin so that she was looking into his eyes. "You are the love of my life." Mark took the box out of his pocket, got down onto one knee and took Susan's hand. "Susan Lewis, will you do me the incredible honor of becoming my wife?" he asked. Mark opened the box to reveal a diamond engagement ring inside._

_Susan gasped, and tears of joy flooded her eyes. "Yes!" she replied. "Yes, yes, a million times, yes!"_

_Mark, tears in his own eyes, stood up and shakily slid the ring onto Susan's finger. She looked at the ring for a moment, then hugged and kissed Mark. He lifted her up and they spun around in complete elation._

_"We are going to have such an amazing life together," Mark said. Susan, unable to say anything, wiped her eyes and kissed Mark again._

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Present time, at the Inn's restaurant. Mark leaned across the table and kissed Susan. She wiped tears from her eyes again.

"Hormones," she said with a laugh.

Mark stood up and helped Susan get up from her seat. They walked out of the restaurant, holding hands.

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Back at their suite, Mark dimmed the lights and waited for Susan to emerge from the bathroom. He had lit candles and placed them around the room.

"Are you ready?" Susan asked.

"Ready and waiting," Mark replied. Susan exited the bathroom wearing a blue silk nightgown. Mark whistled in response.

"You don't think I look silly?" Susan asked uncertainly.

"Not in the least bit," Mark replied. "Sexy, yes. Silly, no way."

"I'm six months pregnant," Susan stated. "I thought I'd look…well, fat, maybe."

"You're pregnant with our son," Mark said as he hugged Susan and rubbed her belly. "And I think you're the sexiest woman I've ever seen."

"You look pretty sexy yourself," Susan noted. "I see you like the silk boxers I bought you."

"They're actually pretty comfortable," Mark replied.

"Yes, but they're not staying on long," Susan said seductively. She and Mark kissed. He broke from the kiss long enough to turn on the CD player. Their wedding song, 'Come Away With Me' filled the room. Susan wrapped her arms around Mark. "I love your surprises."

"Remember our first dance to this?" Mark asked.

"I'll never forget it," Susan answered. "Just like I'll always remember our wedding, and how beautiful it was."

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_Flashback. It is June of the previous year, and Susan and Mark are standing in front of all their family and friends in church. They have already exchanged vows and rings, and now Mark is reciting a poem for Susan._

_"This poem is called 'The Journey,'" Mark began. "I thought it was perfect for today, and for how I feel about you - and us." Susan smiled at Mark and wiped her eyes for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. "Now we will feel no rain, for each of us will be shelter to each other. And now we will feel no cold, for each of us will be warmth to each other." Susan swallowed and fought more tears. "Now there is no loneliness. We are two bodies, but there is one life before us and one home. When evening falls, I'll look to you and there you'll be. And I'll take your hand and you'll take mine." Mark stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. He knew he was on the verge of tears himself. "And we'll turn together and we'll look to the road we traveled to reach this, the hour of our happiness. It stretched far behind us, and our future lies ahead. A long and winding road where every turning means discovery. All the hopes, new laughter, shared tears, the adventure has just begun."_

_"I love you," Susan said. "You are my very best friend in the whole world. You are my light in the darkness. You are my shelter from the storm." Mark reached over and wiped Susan's tears of happiness away. "I love you with all of my heart and with all of my soul."_

_Mark, overwhelmed with his love for Susan, reached over and hugged her. He let go long enough for the minister to announce that they were husband and wife._

_"And you may kiss your bride," the minister added with a grin._

_"I'd love to," Mark said. He and Susan kissed passionately as their friends and family cheered._

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Present time, at their suite at the Solace Inn, Mark and Susan are cuddled in bed together after making love. Mark runs his hand over Susan's belly.

"He's kicking a lot lately," Mark commented.

"A future soccer player," Susan laughed.

"Or a football player!" Mark said excitedly. He bent over and kissed Susan's head. "Tonight has been wonderful."

"Thank you for my present," Susan said. She fingered the diamond necklace that Mark had given her.

"And for my watch," Mark replied. "I love the inscription: to my love, my heart, my soul, happy first anniversary."

"You're all of those to me," Susan stated. She rested her head on Mark's chest and he caressed her hair.

"I love you," Mark said tenderly.

Susan looked up at her husband. "I love you, too," she said. They kissed again. "Happy Anniversary."

"Happy Anniversary," Mark replied. He and Susan, overwhelmed with their love and desire for each other, kissed passionately and made love into the night.


	5. Chapter 5

Married Life 

Chapter 5

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own ER. The song "Blackbird" is by the Beatles. No copyright infringement is intended.

Married Life

Mark Greene put the finishing touches on the nursery that his soon-to-be newborn son would occupy when his wife, Susan Lewis-Greene, appeared in the doorway.

"Wow, this looks fantastic," she said, her hand on her belly. The nursery walls were painted a creamy off-white color, and Mark had hung a border of teddy bears across the middle of the wall. A crib, dresser, changing table, and rocking chair completed the room.

"Thanks," Mark replied. He stepped off the small ladder he'd been standing on and kissed Susan. "Now, where do you want the crib? In here or in our room?"

"Our room," Susan answered. "I'd just feel better if we were closer to the baby."

"Done," Mark said. Susan stepped back and Mark pushed the crib into their room. Susan followed and sat on the bed.

"You know," she said. "I'm due soon and we still haven't decided on a name."

"Maybe we should wait until he's here," Mark suggested. "The name we choose might not fit the baby."

"You're right," Susan said. "At least we agree on our favorite names."

Mark turned to his wife. "And now," he began, "is time for you to rest."

Susan frowned. "Mark, all I've _done_ is rest for the past two weeks. I'm bored. I want to go out and do something."

"We can take a walk," Mark offered.

"We've done that," Susan sighed. Mark sat next to her and rubbed her back. "I'm sorry, I'm just so ready for the baby to come. I want to hold him, kiss him…and my back really hurts." Mark leaned over and kissed Susan's head.

"Want to take a nap together?" he said softly.

"Yeah," she replied, sounding a bit tired. The couple reclined back onto their bed, Mark's arms around Susan. He covered her with a light blanket and caressed her head until she fell asleep.

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A few days later, on a warm September night, Susan walked around her bedroom, rubbing her back. She was growing uncomfortable by the minute. Susan decided to rest on her bed and stretched out with plenty of pillows behind her for support.

Mark walked into the room and instantly felt sorry for his wife. He knew that as much as she loved being pregnant, the past few weeks hadn't been easy. Susan had also been having some contractions during the day, but they were too far apart to go to the hospital.

"Hey," Mark said as he sat on the bed by Susan. "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," Susan answered. She grimaced in pain and clutched the pillow near her. "Ooh, that was a strong one."

"How many minutes apart were the last contractions?" Mark asked.

"About ten," Susan said. "Mark, I really want to go to the hospital now. I'm ready."

"Okay, we'll go," Mark replied, and gently helped Susan up from the bed and into the car.

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Two hours later, Susan and Mark were in the delivery room. Susan's water had broken about an hour earlier and her contractions had increased. They were now coming every five minutes, and after an Epidural, Susan felt much better.

"I love whoever invented the Epidural," she muttered. Mark continued to be a source of constant support for Susan, kissing her head and rubbing her back. Dr. Janet Coburn entered the delivery room then and smiled at the couple. The three doctors were also colleagues at County, and they all knew the ER was filled with excited doctors and nurses waiting to hear news.

"How are you doing, Susan?" Janet asked.

"Not bad. I love the Epidural," Susan replied with a grin.

"And you're fully dilated now," Janet said. "I want you to start pushing now."

"Okay," Susan said tiredly. She sat up and grabbed Mark's hand.

"Good, I'm going to count to ten and you push," Janet instructed. She counted and Susan pushed. "Excellent. Bear down more and push!" Susan did as she was told, and Janet looked up at her. "You're doing a great job, Susan. Just a few more pushes and he's here!"

"I can't believe it!" Mark said in excitement. He kissed Susan's hand.

"Susan, just push a bit more. The head's almost out," Janet said. Susan bore down and pushed, and a few moments later, a baby's cry filled the room. "You did it! Congratulations! It's a boy!"

"Oh my goodness," Susan said as tears filled her eyes.

"Dad, do you want to cut the cord?" Janet asked.

Mark wiped his own eyes and took the scissors. He cut in the spot Janet indicated and watched as the nurses cleaned off his son and weighed him. After he was wrapped in a blanket, the baby was handed to Susan.

"He's perfect," Susan said in awe. She leaned in and kissed her son on the head. "Hi there, little one. I've been waiting for this day to arrive."

"I think he has your eyes," Mark said. "He looks like you," Susan replied softly. She looked up at her husband. "I know you want to hold him."

"More than anything," Mark stated. He sat next to Susan on the bed and she placed the baby in his arms. "Hey little buddy, I'm your daddy." Mark kissed the baby and turned to his wife. "Thank you for making me a daddy again."

"Thank you for making me a mommy," Susan said. She kissed Mark on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, and stared at the baby again. "So, we need to think of a name."

"Christopher," Susan declared. "That should be his name."

"Christopher Greene," Mark replied. "I like it. Do we want a middle name?"

"You can choose that," Susan offered. Mark gazed at Christopher and then looked at Susan. "Christopher James Greene. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," Susan answered. Mark handed the baby back to her and wrapped his arms around his wife. They sat and stared in amazement at their son.

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That night, Susan sat in a rocking chair in her room. She held Christopher in her arms and softly sang to him.

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night, take these broken wings and learn to fly. All your life, you only were waiting for this moment to arise." Susan gently kissed Christopher and gazed in awe at her son.


	6. Chapter 6

Married Life 

Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own ER or the characters in this story, with the exception of Christopher Greene. I have aged the character of Susie Lewis to fourteen years old, whereas she would normally be around eleven.

No copyright infringement is intended.

On a slightly warm October night, Susan-Lewis Greene tucked her six-week-old son, Christopher, into his crib. She smiled at the little boy, her heart more filled with love for this baby than she ever thought possible.

"Sweet dreams, baby boy," she whispered. Susan turned on the mobile over Christopher's crib and quietly left the room. She and Mark had just moved Chris's crib into the nursery and he was sleeping soundly each night. Susan walked into her bedroom and found her husband, Mark, putting some clothes away in the closet.

"He's out already?" Mark asked. Susan nodded and stretched out onto the bed. "Then we have some time alone."

"That we do," Susan grinned as Mark climbed onto the bed next to her. They kissed and Susan removed Mark's glasses and placed them onto the nearby nightstand. "I've missed you."

The couple kissed fervently and Susan removed Mark's shirt. He began to take hers off when Susan sat up. "What is it?" Mark inquired.

"Do we have any condoms?" Susan asked.

"I think so…somewhere," Mark said as he looked around.

"I can't take the pill because I'm breast-feeding, and we're certainly not having sex without any birth control," Susan reminded her husband. She laughed and added, "Unless you want another baby right away."

"I do," Mark began, "but not what, ten months apart?" He began to rummage through a dresser drawer and triumphantly held up a box. "Aha! Found 'em!"

"Good job," Susan congratulated him. She sauntered over to her husband and wrapped her arms around him. "Now, where were we?"

"I think we were right here," Mark replied, and kissed Susan. She deepened the kiss and the couple fell onto the bed.

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A few days later, Susan was on the phone with her sister, Chloe. Mark walked into the room and a look of concern crossed his face as he listened to Susan's end of the conversation.

"Chloe, I wish you'd told me sooner," Susan began. "No, I definitely want to see Susie. I've missed her so much…yes, I'm very proud of her…I'll have to talk to Mark about this…you can't be so positive that he'll say yes. We did just have a baby, you know." Susan sighed and noticed Mark standing in the doorway. "Listen, I have to go…yes, I promise to call you back later…tell Susie I love her. Okay, bye." Susan hung up the phone and stood up. "How much did you hear?"

"Not too much," Mark said. "I put Chris down for his nap and wanted to let you know. So what's up with Chloe and Susie?"

Susan walked around the room, straightening pillows and putting books and magazines away. "Well, Chloe said Joe got a job transfer to the Chicago office. And she's been talking about putting Susie in private school, so they applied to Westfield Academy." Susan stopped and looked at Mark. "Susie was accepted."

"That's great!" Mark replied. "I'm sure you're thrilled that Susie's moving back to Chicago."

"Oh, but I haven't gotten to the good part yet," Susan said. "Joe's company decided not to transfer him to Chicago, but to give him a promotion at the San Francisco office. So they're not moving."

"Honey, I'm sorry," Mark stated as he hugged Susan. "I know you would've been really happy to have Susie so close again."

"Well, that's what I wanted to talk to you about," Susan began. "Susie was ecstatic to learn she might be living in Chicago and she really loved the idea of going to Westfield. Chloe told her all about it and they're flying in this weekend to see the school in person. And Chloe wanted to know if we'd be okay with Susie living with us." Susan stepped back and looked into Mark's eyes. "Mark, please say yes on this. She's the reason I left years ago. I knew that you loved me, but Susie was like my own daughter. I had to know that she was all right. I had to be with her."

Mark pushed Susan's hair back and gazed into her eyes. A smile broke out onto his face and he replied, "Will you help me turn the guest room into Susie's bedroom?"

"Yes!" Susan shouted. She jumped into Mark's arms, nearly knocking him to the ground. "Thank you, honey. You have no idea how happy this makes me!"

"I think I do," Mark said as Susan tightly wrapped her arms around him. "I love you, and I'd do anything for you."

"I know," Susan answered. "I love you, too."

"It'll be fun to have Susie around," Mark said. "And when Rachel visits from college, I bet they'd hang out."

"Like they did years ago," Susan reminisced. "Remember taking them skating?"

Mark laughed. "Yeah, and I bet I'm still a lousy skater!"

Susan looked at her husband, her eyes full of love for him. "Yes, but you're so much better at other things," she remarked. "Being a husband, father, doctor, and friend. You're the best at those." Mark hugged Susan and they stood together in silence, reveling at being together.

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That weekend, the Greene home was filled with three special guests: Chloe, her husband Joe Randall, and Susie. Susan hadn't been prepared for how big her niece had gotten. At fourteen years of age, Susie was beautiful, well-mannered, and still a bit shy. Just like I was, Susan thought to herself. The physical resemblance was obvious too: Susie looked more like Susan than Chloe. Both Lewis sisters had blonde hair, but Susie had inherited Susan's bright green eyes instead of Chloe's brown.

The Greenes and Randalls had toured Westfield Academy, and Susie had been overly excited. She said the school looked much better in person than on the website she'd viewed multiple times. Though she'd be starting her freshman year one month later than all of the other Westfield students, Susie was confident she'd be able to catch up.

Susan and Susie sat outside drinking hot cocoa. Susan faced her niece.

"Are you nervous?" she asked. Susie wrapped her hands around the mug and stared forward. A moment later, she quietly answered, "A little bit." She turned to Susan and grinned. "But the uniforms are pretty cool!"

"I liked them," Susan said. "And you look great in blue."

Susie snuggled closer to Susan and put her head on her aunt's shoulder. "Thank you for letting me live with you," she said softly. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too," Susan replied as she kissed her niece's head. "More than you can know."

"I really didn't like San Francisco," Susie admitted. "And school…it was a major pain."

"Your mom said the classes were too easy for you," Susan said.

Susie nodded her head. "And the principal wanted me to skip a grade, but mom and Joe didn't think it was a good idea. I took the Honors classes and they were easy, too. And I didn't have many friends. I was always called a dork because I actually liked to read and learn about things."

"I've been there, kiddo," Susan said wryly. "High school wasn't that great for me."

"Forget 'em," Susie laughed. "When I'm a doctor I can look back on the kids who made fun of me and laugh at them."

"You want to be a doctor?" Susan asked, surprised.

"Maybe," Susie said. "Or a writer, or a teacher, or maybe a photographer. I think it'd be fun to travel the world and see things I've only read about so far."

"You're going to do everything you set your heart to," Susan replied as she hugged Susie around her shoulders. "I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks," Susie answered. She turned around to make sure Chloe wasn't within earshot. "And I can really talk to you, Aunt Susan. I can't do that with my mom."

"Why not?" Susan inquired.

"I know about her past, with drugs," Susie began quietly. "And I figured I'd only tell her things that weren't too important so I didn't cause her any stress. I was afraid if she was worried she might turn back to using drugs again." Susie looked at her aunt. "It's stupid, right?"

Susan shook her head. "Not at all. And you can tell me anything, Susie. I won't tell anyone."

"So what's told here stays here?" Susie asked with a smile as she motioned between Susan and herself.

"Yes," Susan laughed. "Pinky swear."

Susie linked pinkies with Susan. "Pinky swear." Susie sat back and looked at the stars. "I love it here," she said. "And in a week I'll officially be home!"

"All you have to do is pack your stuff and fly out here," Susan said. She felt the need to pinch herself, to prove she wasn't dreaming. The same little girl who had been taken away years earlier was going to live under the same roof as Susan, her husband and son. Dreams so have a way of coming true, Susan thought to herself, as Susie rested her head on Susan's shoulder once again, and they stared at the stars. Susan pointed out the constellations to her niece, as she had done when Susie was a baby, and they talked and laughed into the night.


	7. Chapter 7

Married Life

Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own ER or the characters in this story, with the exception of Headmistress Walden. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Susie, hurry up!" Susan Lewis-Greene shouted to her niece. A moment later, fourteen-year-old Susie Lewis ran down the stairs.

"How do I look?" she asked, turning around to model her new school uniform. Susie wore a blue plaid skirt, white shirt and blue sweater. Her blonde hair was down. Without waiting for her aunt to answer, Susie picked up her new book bag. "Let's go!"

"Wait, wait," Susan laughed. She picked up her digital camera and Susie rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. I need a picture for the first day of school."

"Fine," Susie replied. She smiled and Susan snapped the picture. "Can we go now?"

"One second," Susan said. 

Mark entered the hallway and smiled at them. "You both look terrific!" he said. He picked up Susan's camera and motioned to his wife. "I want to get a picture of the Lewis ladies together."

Susan stood next to her niece and put her arm around Susie. Both smiled for the camera and Mark took the picture. Abby approached, carrying baby Christopher.

"Thank you so much, Abby," Susan said. "We shouldn't be too long at Westfield."

"Take your time," Abby replied. "This little guy's too adorable to put down!" 

"Our cell numbers are on the fridge - well you know mine my heart anyway!" Susan said as Mark opened the door and Susie hurried out the car. 

"He'll be fine, Susan," Abby assured her friend. "Now, go before they leave without you!"

Susan quickly kissed Christopher's head. "I'll be back, little guy," she said. "Bye!" Abby closed and locked the door behind Susan and laughed.

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Westfield Academy. Mark, Susan and Susie sat in Headmistress Walden's office. It was customary for the headmistress to meet each new student and their parents - or in Susie's case, her aunt and uncle - on the first day of school. 

Headmistress Walden looked through Susie's file and smiled at the family in front of her. "I'm very impressed with your grades, Susie," she commented.

"Thank you," Susie said shyly.

"You should be very proud of Susie," Headmistress Walden said to Mark and Susan.

Susan shook her head vigorously. "Oh, I am - we are, I mean."

"And how do you like Chicago so far?" Headmistress Walden asked them.

Mark and Susan exchanged curious glances. "Well, I've lived here for quite while now," Mark responded. "And Susan grew up here."

Headmistress Walden frowned, then put on her glasses and turned through some pages in Susie's file. "But the application was from San Francisco."

"That's where Susie lived before she moved to Chicago," Susan explained.

 "I was under the impression that you had just moved to Chicago," Headmistress Walden stated. 

"Headmistress Walden, Susie lived with my sister in San Francisco," Susan said.

"She was living with her aunt?" the headmistress questioned.

Susan frowned. "I'm her aunt," she said.

"But the application states that Susie's parents are Mark Greene and Susan Lewis-Greene," Headmistress Walden replied. "You may see for yourself." She passed the application to Mark and Susan and they read it. Their faces grew more curious as they looked at each other. "I'm assuming this is false information," the headmistress added.

"I'm so, so sorry," Susan said. "I don't know what my sister was thinking when she put our names on the application." Susan glanced at Susie. "Chloe - Susie's mother - said that she anticipated the family's moving to Chicago, but her husband received a promotion at his job in San Francisco and they decided to stay. However, Susie had heard about Westfield Academy and wanted to attend, so Mark and I agreed to let her live with us."

"This won't hurt Susie's being at Westfield, will it?" Mark asked anxiously.

"No, not at all," Headmistress Walden replied. "I'm glad we got to the bottom of this matter. I'll just change her file and list your relations as her aunt and uncle." She began to write on the file and looked up at them. "Are you both still employed as emergency room doctors at County General Hospital?"

"Yes, we are," Mark replied.

"And your current address is 476 Willow Way?"

"Yes, it is," Susan answered.  
"All right, I think we're settled then," the headmistress said. She closed the file and smiled at Susie. "Welcome to Westfield. I'm sorry about the confusion."

"It's okay," Susie replied. She fidgeted with her sweater and Susan could see the sadness on her niece's face. Chloe's lies had hurt Susie more than she could know.

"I'll walk you over to the administration office. They'll give you your class schedule and locker assignment there," the headmistress said. She stood up and motioned for the Greenes and Susie to follow her.

Susie stood up and carried her book bag. Mark and Susan exchanged looks as they followed Susie and Headmistress Walden.

"Unbelievable," Susan muttered.

"What was Chloe thinking?" Mark asked quietly.

"She wasn't, as usual," Susan said sharply. She lowered her voice. "She only cares about herself. She doesn't give a damn about Susie or anyone else."

Mark put his hand on Susan's back to comfort her, and they followed Susie and the headmistress.

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That afternoon, Susan and Susie arrived home. Mark had gone into work for the afternoon shift. Susie slammed the door and tossed her book bag onto the floor.

"She's such a bitch!" Susie exclaimed. She flung herself onto the sofa and folded her arms. Susan walked downstairs after putting Chris down for his nap. She sat next to Susie and put her arms around her niece. "I'm sorry, baby."

"She never wanted me," Susie said. Her eyes filled with tears.

"Honey, she loves you," Susan assured her niece. Susie glared at Susan. "Yeah? Then why did she lie on the application? And why did she lie to you and Uncle Mark?"

"What did she lie to us about?" Susan asked.

"There was never a chance of our moving to Chicago for Joe's job," Susie said. "I heard Chloe talking about it on the phone and she said she couldn't wait for me to be out of her hair."

"Are you sure you heard her correctly?" Susan inquired, praying Susie was wrong.

"No, I think I understand English pretty well," Susie snapped. "Chloe was talking to one of her crack head friends and said that her 'sucker sister' was going to be stuck with me."

"Oh, Chloe," Susan said. She put her head in her hands.

"And I know everything, Aunt Susan," Susie confessed. "I know that she abandoned me when I was a baby and that you raised me for a while."

Susan looked up at her niece. "She told you?"

"Yeah, during one of her drunken tirades," Susie replied. "She said that you wanted to adopt me and she wasn't going to let it happen. Over her dead body, as she put it."

"Then why did she want you to live with me now?" Susan asked.

"Because I'm a burden to her," Susie said. "Her own words, right out of her mouth. She said she's stuck with a kid. I'm apparently cramping her style." Tears rolled down Susie's cheeks. "It's all true, isn't it?"

"Yes," Susan answered. She wrapped her arms around Susie, who began to sob. "I never wanted to let you go, Susie. I fought hard to keep you, but Chloe won." Susan stroked Susie's hair. "It's why I moved to Phoenix, to be with you. My heart broke when you were taken away."

"I don't know why Chloe didn't let you adopt me years ago," Susie sniffled. She looked up at Susan. "She asked me not to call her Mom. She said it wasn't cool."

"She's unbelievable. I can't wait for Chris to call me Mommy," Susan admitted.

"And Chloe said something else to her friend, about terminating something," Susie added. "Some kind of rights. I didn't catch all of the conversation."

"Parental rights?" Susan asked.

"I think so," Susie said as she wiped her eyes. "Does that mean she wouldn't be my mother anymore?"

"Well, yes," Susan replied.

"Would you and Uncle Mark adopt me?" Susie asked hopefully. Susan kissed Susie's head and wiped her eyes some more. "In a heartbeat," she said. "I'd love for you to be my daughter." Susan hugged Susie again. "What about Joe? What does he say about all of this?"

"Joe doesn't live with Chloe anymore," Susie replied. "He only came to Chicago so you'd believe we were one big happy family. I wanted to tell you the truth, but Chloe said she'd make me regret it."

"Has she ever hurt you physically?" Susan asked. She dreaded hearing the answer.

"She's hit me a few times," Susie confessed. "Mostly when she was drunk, but sometimes when she was sober too." Susie closed her eyes, took a deep breath and looked at Susan. "I was good. I tried not to get in her way. I took care of her when she'd come home drunk." She pushed her blonde hair back. "I guess I wasn't good enough."

"Don't you ever say that again!" Susan said firmly. "You, Susie Lewis, are a wonderful gift from God. I wanted to be your mother years ago, and I'm certainly going to be your mother now. I know that Mark will agree with me on this." Susan hugged Susie tightly. "This is your home, sweet girl. And you never have to worry about anything. There's plenty of love here."

"I love you," Susie said. She buried her head in Susan's shoulder and cried. Susan knew it was a release of all the tension, hurt, anger and sadness that her niece had been dealing with for many years. She soothed Susie and rubbed her back.

"It's okay, baby," she said. "It's okay." Susan continued to comfort Susie as she waited for Mark to arrive home.

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That night, Mark and Susan sat on their bed and talked. Susie had fallen asleep a couple of hours earlier.

"Susan, you have nothing to worry about. We'll adopt Susie," Mark said. He took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. "Man, what that kid's been through."

Susan shook her head. "My sister didn't deserve an amazing kid like Susie. She doesn't deserve to be a mother at all."

"I'll call an attorney in the morning and we can work on making Susie our daughter," Mark said. He hugged Susan. "Your dream is coming true at last."

"I'll be Susie's mother," she said. A huge grin broke out onto her face. "I'll finally have my little girl back, right where she belongs." She laughed and hugged Mark in return. "Pinch me, and if it's a dream, I don't want to wake up!"

"It's not a dream," Mark answered. "It's very real."

"It is," Susan said softly. "It's all I've ever wanted."

Mark reclined back on the pillows and Susan rested in his arms. They sat like that for a long time, enjoying being together. 


	8. Chapter 8

Married Life 

Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own ER , but the character of Melanie Malucci is my creation. The other ER characters are just for my enjoyment. :D No copyright infringement is intended.

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Susan opened the door to Susie's room and found her asleep at her desk. Susie's head rested on one of her open textbooks, her desk lamp still on and a notebook and pen nearby.

Susan smiled at the sight, remembering how she herself had fallen asleep studying throughout high school, college and medical school. She still did it sometimes if she was doing research. Susan gently lifted Susie from the chair.

"Wow, you're heavier than I remember," she said softly. "Granted, I haven't put you to bed since you were a little girl." Susan quietly lay Susie on her bed and covered her with a blanket. She kissed the girl's head. "I love you." Susan turned off the desk lamp and was about to exit the room.

"Thanks, Mom," Susie muttered in her sleep. Susan was taken aback for a moment, and wondered if Susie was talking about her or Chloe. It had been three months since Susie's confession of her life with Chloe, who had already filed to terminate her parental rights. Susan and Mark were Susie's guardians and had already submitted the paperwork to legally adopt her as soon as Chloe's rights were extinguished.

"Sweet dreams, baby girl," Susan said as she closed Susie's bedroom door. She walked back to her bedroom, hoping it was she Susie had called 'Mom.' Susan approached her bed and found Mark sound asleep. She smiled, turned out the light and crawled into bed next to him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

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"No! No!" The screams pierced the silence of the night, and with a flash, Susan was out of bed and ran to Susie's room. She found her sitting up in bed, sweaty and shaking.

"Susie, honey, what happened?" Susan asked as she wrapped her arms around Susie.

"She - she wouldn't let me up and I couldn't breathe," Susie said breathlessly. "There was water - so much water - and I thought I was going to drown." Tears rolled down Susie's cheeks. "She was laughing at me."

"She? Chloe?" Susan asked gently.

"Yeah," Susie said. The shaking subsided a bit, and she clung to Susan. "She was holding me under the water."

"Susie, did this really happen, or was it a nightmare?" Susan asked. _Please say it was just a nightmare, she prayed silently_.

"It really happened," Susie admitted softly.

"When? Why didn't you tell me?" Susan replied, shocked.

"When I was eight," Susie began, "and you'd gone to Houston for a medical conference. One day Chloe and I were in the pool and she pulled me under the water and wouldn't let me up. She was laughing - it was this really mean cackling kind of laugh - and called me a wimp."

"How long were you under?" Susan asked.

"Just a few seconds," Susie said. "Chloe thought it was a big joke, and when I began to cry she hit me and told me to shut up."

"Sweetie, why didn't you tell me?" Susan implored.

"Because Chloe said that if I did, she'd hurt you," Susie confessed. "I love you and I didn't want anything to happen to you."

"I love you, too," Susan said. She gently rocked Susie and her shaking stopped.

"Will you stay with me?" Susie asked quietly.

"Of course," Susan answered. She covered Susie with a blanket and continued to soothe her. "You don't ever have to worry about being hurt again, Susie. Not as long as I'm here."

"Okay," Susie replied sleepily. Feeling comfortable in Susan's arms, Susie quickly drifted back to sleep.

Susan looked down at the young girl and stroked her hair. "Chloe, you don't know how good you had it," she muttered quietly.

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A couple of days later, Susan and her cousin, Melanie Lewis-Malucci, sat in Susan's kitchen. They sipped coffee and talked.

"Poor Susie," Melanie said as she shook her head. "I can't believe what that girl has been through."

"Damn Chloe! Did she know what a wonderful child she had? No, and she didn't appreciate her," Susan retorted.

"Susan, have you thought about taking her to counseling? It could help a great deal," Melanie suggested. "I went after I was attacked, and I know that it helped me a lot."

"I've thought about it," Susan said as she stirred her coffee. She looked at Melanie. "I think Susie called me 'Mom' the other night."

"Really? What did she say?" Melanie sipped her coffee, an expression of interest on her face.

"I was tucking her into bed after she'd fallen asleep studying," Susan began. She noticed a smile cross Melanie's face and laughed. "Yes, just like I used to do. So I was on my way out of her room when she said 'Thanks, Mom.'"

"Hmm," Melanie said.

"What's the 'hmm' about?" Susan asked.

"You said that Chloe told Susie not to call her Mom, right?" Melanie asked. Susan nodded and Melanie continued, "Then maybe she was talking to you."

"I really hope so," Susan confessed as she drank her coffee. "I've thought of Susie as my daughter, even after Chloe had taken her back. She was never my niece again, not in my heart. She was my baby girl and always will be."

"I can ask my therapist if she can recommend someone for Susie to talk to," Melanie offered.

"I'd really appreciate that," Susan said. "And it's okay for you to tell Dave. I just want to keep this quiet, just between the family."

"Of course," Melanie said. "Susan, you know that anything you tell me stays with me. I don't even have to tell Dave."

"You can," Susan replied. "He's a great guy and Susie adores him. He's been really sweet, teaching her how to play basketball. She needs some positive male influences in her life."

"How's Mark been with Susie?" Melanie picked up a muffin and began to remove its wrapper.

"He adores her, and she feels the same way," Susan said, as she helped herself to a muffin. "They've even instituted one night as their own night to hang out together."

"Really? What've they been doing?"

"Last week it was a Monopoly marathon, where Susie beat Mark two games in a row," Susan said with a laugh. "And they've gone out to lunch together and to a movie." Susan poured more coffee in her mug and offered some to Melanie, who shook her head. "And I think it's been good for Mark, too. He misses Rachel since she's away at college."

"Has Mark mentioned adopting Susie to Rachel?" Melanie asked.

"Yes, and she was thrilled to hear she'd have a little sister. She remembers Susie from when she was a baby and always liked her." Susan set the coffee pot down. "I really want this to work out, Mel. I feel like Susie finally has some stability in her life. She doesn't have to worry about moving around every few years, or having a mother who will be drunk or high or gone for days on end. She can relax and enjoy her life."

"She's lucky to have you," Melanie stated firmly.

"I'm the lucky one, to have her as my daughter," Susan said. She looked at her watch. "Susie should be back soon, and then we can hit the mall."

"She's so excited to get her ears pierced!" Melanie said as she carried her coffee mug to the sink. She rinsed it out and placed it in the dish drainer.

"It's all she's talked about since Friday night." Susan washed out her own mug and heard the door slam and thumps on the stairs. "The joys of living with a teenager - I never have to wonder if she's home or not!"

Melanie laughed, but the moment was broken with a cry of "Oh my goodness!" Susan ran up the stairs quickly, and approached the closed bathroom door.

"Susie, are you okay?" she asked worriedly.

"Mom? I um…I got my period!" Susie said excitedly. She opened the door a crack. "I just don't have any stuff, like pads." She frowned. "You don't use tampons, do you?"

"No way," Susan replied.

"Good, those gross me out," Susie admitted with a wrinkle of her nose.

"Stay right here, and I'll get you something." Susan ran off to her room and retrieved some pads. She returned to Susie and handed one to her. "Do you need any help?"

"No, I'm good," Susie said. "Thanks, I'll be right out." She closed the door and Susan's face broke into a broad smile.

"She called me Mom!" Susan felt like turning a cartwheel, but wisely negated the idea. Susie emerged from the bathroom a moment later, and Melanie came upstairs.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Yep, I just got my period for the first time!" Susie exclaimed.

"Congratulations!" Melanie hugged Susie. "I think your mom was the same age when she got hers. Right, Susan?"

"Yes, I was fourteen as well," Susan said.

"I want to finish getting ready," Susie said. "I'll just be a minute." Susie went into her bedroom and Melanie turned to Susan.

"So, she did call you Mom! Congratulations to you too!" Melanie hugged her cousin. "I haven't seen you this happy since Chris was born."

"I haven't felt this happy since then," Susan admitted. "I'm going to check on her."

"Okay, I'll get my things ready." Melanie walked downstairs and Susan entered Susie's bedroom.

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Susie slid a headband into her hair, frowned, and took it out. She brushed it as Susan entered.

"If you want, I can get you some aspirin." Susan sat on Susie's bed.

"Oh, for cramps? I don't have any now." Susie brushed her hair and looked at Susan in the mirror's reflection. "I just thought I had to go to the bathroom. This was a pretty cool surprise!"

"If you have any questions, you can ask me," Susan offered. "I don't know if your mom - um, Chloe - talked to you about this."

Susie rolled her eyes and put her hairbrush down. "Oh yeah, she would have time for me in her busy schedule of drinking, doing drugs and acting like a total whore." Susan flinched and Susie noticed. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Anything," Susan replied.

Susie stared at her dresser for a moment, and then turned to Susan. "Don't ever mention her name again."

"I actually thought if you talked to someone, it might help you," Susan said quietly.

"Someone like who? You?" Susie asked as she leaned on her dresser.

"I was thinking more along the lines of a therapist," Susan said. "Someone who is trained to help you deal with what you've been through."

"I um…I don't know," Susie replied. She played with a bracelet that she wore on her left wrist.

"Susie, you've been through an abusive relationship. Talking to a therapist could really help you."

"Have you ever been to one?" Susie asked.

"Yes, I have," Susan admitted.

"When?" Susie asked with interest.

"After I lost you," Susan said softly. "When Chloe was awarded custody of you, I went through a very rough time. I couldn't sleep, I barely ate, and work was the only thing I had. It was the reason I moved to Phoenix, just to be with you."

"You loved me that much?" Susie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"More than you will ever know," Susan said. She rose and walked to Susie and put her arm around her shoulder. "So, what do you say?"

"Okay, I'll go," Susie replied. "You'll come with me, right?"

"Absolutely," Susan said. She hugged Susie. "I love you, baby girl. I would do anything for you."

"I love you, too," Susie said. "So, now that I'm calling you Mom, should I refer to Uncle Mark as Dad?"

"I think he'd like that," Susan answered. "Are you ready to go?"

"To get my belly button pierced?" Susie joked. "Of course!"

"I'm going to enjoy life with a teenager." Susan and Susie walked out of the bedroom. "You have a great sense of humor."

"Who said I was joking?" Susie smirked as she and Susan went down the stairs to meet Melanie.

_She has my sense of humor, too, Susan thought to herself_. She looked at Susie, who was talking animatedly with Melanie. _I wouldn't have it any other way._


	9. Chapter 9

Married Life 

Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own ER, though if I did, I'd write things much differently. :P No copyright infringement is intended.

Susie sat in her therapist's office. She had been seeing Dr. Watkins once a week for a month now, and felt she was making progress in small "baby steps."

"How have you been this week, Susie?" Dr. Watkins asked as they sat down.

"Okay," Susie began. "I was sick earlier this week, but I'm better now."

"I'm glad to hear that," Dr. Watkins said. "What was the matter?"

"I had a fever," Susie explained. "And I was sent home from school."

"Have you been writing in a journal, like I suggested?" Dr. Watkins inquired.

"I have," Susie said. "Can I read to you what I wrote a couple of days ago?"

"Of course." Dr. Watkins sat back in her chair as Susie opened her journal.

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_Susie's POV. It takes place on Monday at Westfield Academy._

_I wasn't feeling that hot when I woke up, but I thought maybe my period was coming again. At first I found getting my period to be pretty cool - you know, I was growing up, not a little kid anymore, all that - but the cramps suck!_

_Mom dropped me off at Westfield, but before I got out of the car she looked me over. "Are you okay?" she asked._

_"I'm fine." I brushed off her concern. Hey, she is a doctor after all!_

_Mom quickly kissed me good-bye and I grabbed my backpack and went inside. I felt okay for first period Health, and second period Biology. After third period French I began to feel tired. I slumped into my seat in my next class, US History. Normally I loved this class and the teacher, Mrs. Young, but today I couldn't keep my eyes open. And I didn't even sit in the back, where I could possibly avoid being noticed. No, I had to sit right up front!_

_Mrs. Young was talking about reviewing the homework we'd had over the weekend. I didn't even hear her when she said to open our books. She noticed, though, and called on me._

_"Susie? Did you hear me? Please open your book to page 422."_

_"Oh, sorry," I said. I slowly opened my book and rubbed my head. Mrs. Young observed me and walked over to my desk. "You look sort of pale." She reached over and felt my forehead with her hand. "And you're warm." She turned to my best friend, Lea, and asked her to take me over to the nurse's office. Lea carried my books for me and we walked over to the nurse._

_The nurse, Mrs. O'Brien, took my temperature. It was 101.4 degrees. No wonder Mom thought I was coming down with something. Mrs. O'Brien called County. Mom and Dad were working and Chris was in the hospital's day care center. Mom said she'd be there right away. _

_I began to hope she really would. It wasn't that I was feeling crappy - which I was. I remembered getting sick at my old school in San Francisco. I'd had a fever then too, around the same degree I had now. The nurse had called Chloe, and she'd said she would be there soon. An hour passed, and the nurse contacted Chloe again. Chloe had asked them to give me some medicine and she would be at the school soon to get me._

_I ended up walking home by myself later that day and stayed home the next day, still sick._

_Mom hurried into the nurse's office about fifteen minutes after Mrs. O'Brien had called her. I was so happy to see her. Not only did it reaffirm that she'd always be there for me, but I felt lousy. I wanted to go home, curl up in my sweats, and go to sleep._

_I was lying on a cot when Mom walked over and kissed my head. "I knew you didn't look right this morning," she said. _

_"It's okay," I reassured her. "I just want to go home." Mom helped me up and signed me out at the attendance office. We climbed into her car and went home._

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_Right after arriving home, I changed into my favorite sweats and a t-shirt and crawled into bed. Mom came upstairs with some aspirin and water. I took those and laid back to rest. Mom sat next to me on my bed and rubbed my head._

_"Thanks for coming," I said tiredly._

_"I wouldn't be anywhere else," she replied._

_"I knew you'd be there." I yawned. "Not like Chloe."_

_"She would've come to get you, Susie. Right?" Mom looked like she wanted to believe what she said, but was struggling._

_"Not really." I sat up in bed and told Mom about San Francisco, and getting sick at school, and Chloe's neglecting to pick me up. Mom either wanted to cry or scream when I was done with my story._

_"You will never, ever have to worry about that, Susie," she said. "Your Dad and I love you more than you'll ever know." She leaned over and kissed my forehead. "Now get some sleep."_

_I laid back against my pillows and shut my eyes. "Stay?" I asked in a quiet voice._

_"Sure," Mom said. She stretched out next to me and stroked my hair until I fell asleep._

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Susie closed her journal and looked at Dr. Watkins. "That's what happened this week."

Dr. Watkins nodded. "Chloe never came to get you?" Susie shook her head. "What happened when you went home that day?"

"She said I was able to rest at the school and the nurse had given me some medicine so I should be fine. And that I was a big kid and needed to grow up." Susie ran her fingers over the journal's cover. Susan had bought it for her, and there was picture of flowers on the front.

"How did that make you feel?"

Susie shrugged. "Like she didn't care, but I knew that anyway. At least my mom cares about me now."

"You were still uncertain as to whether or not she would come to get you." Dr. Watkins crossed her legs. "Did you think she would let you stay at school if you were sick?"

"No, not that much. I was just scared but it turns out I didn't need to be." Susie put the journal into her backpack.

"But part of you thought she would neglect you, if that's the right word?"

"I'm not used to being part of a loving, caring family," Susie explained. "It's like coming from another country, where I don't know the customs or language." Susie sat up in her chair. "My mom used to curse a lot, especially at me. She rarely ever cooked dinner, and our apartment was a mess unless I cleaned it up."

"What else was life with your mother like? We haven't delved into that much," Dr. Watkins stated.

"I always wanted to get good grades so I could get a college scholarship," Susie began. "So I'd work hard, and Chloe used to call me a nerd and said I didn't have friends."

"Did you have friends?"

"At school, yes. But I couldn't bring them to my home and let them meet Chloe."

"What made your mother decide to let you live in Chicago?" Dr. Watkins inquired.

"We had a big fight one night and I said I wanted to live with my Aunt Susan," Susie answered. "Chloe said she didn't care what I did. But then a couple of days later, she was nice to me and began talking about Westfield Academy. She'd gotten an application and showed me the website and I really liked it. Later on I found out she listed my Uncle Mark and Aunt Susan as my parents on the application."

"How did that make you feel?"

"Confused, angry, upset. I didn't understand why she would do this, but then again, I did understand. She never wanted me. She took off when I was a few months old and my Aunt Susan - I mean, Mom - raised me. She wanted to adopt me, but Chloe was able to get custody. Mom missed me so much that she moved to Phoenix to be with me."

"What was your life in Phoenix like?" Dr. Watkins pushed some of her dark brown hair back.

"When I was with my mom - Susan - it was great. We'd go to the mall, the movies, everywhere together. I kind of had a sense that something was different with her, though, like she was sad."

"What was making her sad?"

"She missed my Dad," Susie said simply. "I picked up on it when I was about four years old. She moved to Phoenix when I was around 18 months old, and before she boarded the train at Union Station, my Dad ran up to her and confessed that he was in love with her. They even kissed!" Susie smiled at the memory. "It's romantic, isn't it?" Dr. Watkins nodded and smiled in return. "But my Mom got onto the train to be with me. I think my Dad just waited all those years for her to return. Chloe and Joe and I were moving to San Francisco, and we seemed like a happy family. In a way, we were. Joe was a good guy to me and Chloe, and she was nice to me sometimes. I felt maybe we'd make it."

"How long did you live in San Francisco?"

"Five years," Susie said. "We moved when I was eight and a half."

"Did you like it there?"

"At first, yes. Joe took me and Chloe to Fisherman's Wharf and showed us around. His cousin lived there and we'd all get together and have dinner. I began to feel like I had a real family after a while."

"What changed, then?"

"When I was twelve, almost thirteen, Joe and Chloe split up. He moved out, but still lived just a few blocks away. And in the beginning, he'd come to visit me and we'd go out together - to a ballgame, or dinner. After a while that stopped, though."

"How did you feel when Joe wasn't around anymore?"

"Abandoned," Susie said. "And scared. Chloe was getting meaner and at least Joe would've stopped her from hitting me."

"Did she hit you often?"

"Yeah," Susie nodded. "Just for stupid little things, like telling her not to get drunk and to get a job. She applied for welfare, and Joe would send some money once in a while."

"So you, in effect, had to be the parent?"

"Yes. I guess it's why I'm kind of mature for my age," Susie replied. "I had to learn to take care of myself when I was still young." Susie blinked her eyes, desperately trying to keep her tears back. "Damnit!" The tears spilled over and Susie wiped them away. "I hate her. I hate Chloe. She only gave a damn about me when it was convenient for her."

Dr. Watkins handed Susie a tissue. "Have you told your parents about this?"

"Parts of it," Susie said as she wiped her eyes. "I didn't want to unload all of this on them at once. They're busy with work and Chris."

"They do care about you. I can tell," Dr. Watkins stated firmly.

"I know," Susie said. "I let them read what I write in my journal, and then we talk about it at home. We only began doing that last week, but it felt good."

"I'm very happy that you have such a strong support system," Dr. Watkins said. She glanced at the clock. "And I'm sorry that our session is over for today. I'll see you next week, right?"

"Same time, same place," Susie joked. She picked up her coat and backpack. "Thanks, Dr. Watkins."

"Take care, Susie," Dr. Watkins replied. "I'm glad you're feeling better." Dr. Watkins put her arm on Susie's back and gently guided her to the waiting area. Susie grinned to see not only Susan there, but Mark and baby Chris. They rose and went to meet her.

"How'd it go today, honey?" Susan asked.

Susie put her coat on. "Pretty well," she answered.

"I was thinking we could try out that new burger place on Second," Mark said. "What do you think?"

"I'm in the mood for a burger," Susie replied. "And a huge cup of coffee."

"You had to inherit that from me, didn't you?" Susan said with a fake groan. "Just don't start your little brother on the coffee addiction, okay?"

"Not until he's two, Mom," Susie said, a mock tone of surprise in her voice. Susie picked up her backpack and turned to her parents. "I'm hungry!"

"Let's go then," Mark said. He picked up the carrier that held baby Chris and the family walked to the door.

"Bye, Dr. Watkins. Thanks again!" Susie said with a small wave.

"Take care, Susie." Dr. Watkins smiled as the Greene family left her office, talking and laughing.


End file.
